Pages

Saturday, July 31, 2010

White Christians are very fond of the passage in the book of John where Jesus washes his disciples' feet. This act of service has inspired youth pastors everywhere to repeat this ritual with their youth group members. These impressionable youths get the message loud and clear: serving others is gross.

Horny high school boys may disagree, as they jockey for position to wash the feet, ankles and lower calves of the one hot girl in the youth group. However, no one wants to touch 99% of the rest of those sweaty, stinky feet. While the washing of feet was a valued service in Jesus' day, what with walking in sandals all day down dusty trails, today we have shoes and socks. Feet are wonderful anatomic structures for enabling locomotion, however, while in public it is best to honor God for these gifts by keeping your feet in your shoes - out of sight and smell.

White Christians have also taken to performing this routine during their weddings. Inevitably, the ordeal runs long, the music ends, and the bride and groom scramble to get their shoes back on in silence. While waiting, everyone beyond youth group age gives thanks that they will never be required to wash someone else's feet again.

I grew up in a church that performed this ritual. I now think that the churches may have it wrong. Jesus did this as a service to others, like you said, and I think it would be better to do something for someone (mow their lawn, cook their dinner) that is actually helpful. Washing someone's feet isn't helping them. I know! Everyone can go outside and wash each other's cars.

During Holy Week this washing of the feet ritual also gives me reason for concern. During college I worked at a local running shoes store and encountered plenty of stinky feet. I'll pass on ceremonial feet washing.

Footwashing ceremonies were either a powerful spiritual experience, bolstering my faith that God was, in fact, looking out for me [i.e. I got the hot girl], or it was an utterly faith-crushing disappointment [i.e. I had to watch as someone else got to caress...I mean, wash...the hot girl's feet].